Disclosed are methods for killing insects, involving treating an object or area with an insect killing effective amount of a composition containing methyl benzoate and optionally a carrier.
Several studies have suggested that, as result of world population growth, increasing global food demand for direct human consumption poses huge challenges for the sustainability of crop production (Alexandratos, N., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96: 5908-5914 (1999); Cassman, K. G., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96: 5952-5959 (1999); Tilman, D., et al., Nature, 418: 671-677 (2002)). Although about 99% of agricultural crop pests in the world are control by natural enemies (Debach, P., and D. Rosen, Biological Control by Natural Enemies, 2nd edition, London: Cambridge University Press, 1991)), agricultural crop production is still severely reduced in the range of 25-50% by insects, weeds, and pathogens (Pimentel, D., et al., Bioscience, 41: 402-409 (1991)). Application of synthetic pesticides in pest control has been shown to provide significant economic benefits, allowing farmers to reduce human labor costs in crop production and have made it possible to produce a great volume of food for global consumers (Pimentel et al. 1991). However, synthetic pesticide usages cause serious damage to human health, agriculture, and natural ecosystems. Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach destinations other than their target species because they are sprayed or spread across entire agricultural fields, resulting in detriment of wildlife and the environment (Miller, G. T., Sustaining the Earth: An integrated Approach, 6th edition, page 386, Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole, 2004)). Recent estimates suggest that pesticides account for more than 20,000 human fatalities yearly, and that most of these will have occurred in developing countries (Forget, G., J. Toxicol. Environ. Health, 32: 11-31 (1991)). Thus, there is an urgent need to curtail pesticide use and reduce the human and environmental impacts of synthetic pesticides.
Over the past twenty years, botanic pesticides as attractive alternatives to synthetic pesticides have received the most acclaim and shown growing recognition in pest management due to less threat to human health and the environment (Isman, M. B., Annu. Rev. Entomol., 51: 45-66 (2006); de Oliveira, J. L., et al., Biotechnol. Adv., 32: 1550-1561 (2014); Adorjan, B., and G. Buchbauer, Flavour Fragrance J., 25: 407-426 (2010)). A number of botanical pesticides based on pyrethrum and neem have successfully been commercialized and used in agricultural and veterinary pest control; however, it only commands little more than 1% of the global pesticide market (Isman, M. B., Crop Protect., 19: 603-608 (2000)).
Thus there is still significant opportunity for development of botanical pesticides as environmental-friendly alternatives and utilization in pest management. We have found that methyl benzoate (MB), a volatile organic compound (VOC) component identified from fermented apple juice, is an insecticide.